March Construction Update: Floors, Doors, and Walls — Oh My!

The Trailhead is a joint project between the Loppet Foundation and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) to expand and improve recreation in Theodore Wirth Park.

Coming soon to Theodore Wirth Park, The Trailhead will be a park facility unlike any other in the MPRB system. Outdoor adventurers from all walks of life will now have a hub for year-round activities. From hikers, skiers, and snowboarders to golfers, mountain bikers, and trail runners — The Trailhead has been designed to welcome all in our community to enjoy Theodore Wirth Park as a backyard playground.

The last few months have brought lots of developments to the project! While many of us at the Loppet were out grooming, coaching, and organizing events, Kalcon construction crews were hard at work transforming The Trailhead’s framework into a thing of beauty and wonder! The Trailhead continues to evolve each day and is still a ways out to completion, but we are pretty blown away with the progress made over the course of this winter.

Floors, Doors, and Walls Are In!

Here’s what happened while you were out skiing: We now have concrete floors throughout the building, walls outlining every corner of the space, and the coaches’ offices are nearly ready to move into. One tour group member remarked on how elegantly the natural ceiling and dramatic windows really highlight the beauty of the natural world, even in an indoor space.

Locker Rooms Taking Shape

Plumbing infrastructure is now in place for both the restaurant kitchen and the locker rooms! With the interior taking shape, we are getting pumped up about The Trailhead’s Virtual Health Club! In this health club you will find no walls, ceilings, or exercise equipment. At The Trailhead, your gym is the 759-acre natural space right outside the building’s doors. And members of this club will still be able to enjoy amenities including showers, secured lockers, and equipment rentals ranging from mountain bikes to snowshoes!

Restaurant Partner Announced

Those of you who joined us at the first annual Super Boil last month got to enjoy a sneak preview of the new restaurant that will be operating out of The Trailhead. Teona Washington has been running a successful catering business, Cajun Twist, which starting this year will have a permanent home in The Trailhead. Classics like gumbo, red beans and rice, and jambalaya will be served up alongside original creations like the Bayou Burger and Creole Cubano on a menu that is sure to delight a diners of all ages! Read the full announcement here.

As we inch closer and closer to summer, we are getting more and more excited to debut this project with our whole community — and we hope you are too! See the latest developments on this project by following along with us via The Trailhead’s Facebook album, and be sure to share with your friends!